Is Google Opal Taking on Both Canva and Figma? The Day Google Opal Redefines the No-Code Landscape - "Opal," the Vibe Coding App That Makes Creating Web Apps Easy

1. Background—What is "Vibe-Coding"?

The second wave of the generative AI boom has transitioned to the "write→create" phase. While ChatGPT and Gemini are gaining attention for text generation, "vibe-coding," which generates code without making users aware of it, has become a new trend. With Cursor and Lovable leading the way, an environment where web apps can be mass-produced using GUI and prompts was being established, and now Google has entered the scene seriously. The new experiment "Opal" was publicly launched in the U.S. on July 25, 2025, under the Labs banner.TechCrunch

2. How Opal Works—Assembling "Gemini Lego"

Opal's features can be summarized in three steps: "natural language→visual workflow→instant sharing." Users input requirements in text→check and slightly edit the automatically generated node-based workflow→publish by issuing a URL with a publish button. Behind the scenes, multiple models like Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite and external APIs are linked, with prompts saved in each node. The official blog likened it to "Lego blocks that can freely chain AI models, prompts, and tools."developers.googleblog.com

3. Competitive Comparison—The Fierceness of the Low-Code Market

Opal's direct rivals are,

• Canva Apps: Rich in templates, aimed at non-developers.

• Figma Widgets: Strong in UI prototyping.

• Replit Bounties: Focused on collaboration, assumes code viewing.
  Opal differentiates itself with a "no-code & AI-focused" approach, offering a UX that seems to blend AppSheet with Gemini. TechCrunch noted that "Google has entered the investor rush aiming to acquire AI tool makers."TechCrunch

4. Social Media Sentiment—Between Expectations and Skepticism

On the first day of release, the #googleopal tag on X (formerly Twitter) was filled with over 10,000 tweets, spreading voices like the following.

• "The visualization of workflows is easier to understand than n8n!" X (formerly Twitter)

• "Without prompt skills, you can't create anything. It's rather exclusive." X (formerly Twitter)

• "Gemini CLI, Canvas, AI Studio, IDX... How many agents is Google releasing?" X (formerly Twitter)

• "Tested on YouTube, and the 'sheet integration' is divine. Zapier killer incoming." X (formerly Twitter)
  AI influencer Christopher Penn on LinkedIn evaluated, "The era where you can create in-house tools without writing a single line of code has arrived," analyzing that the momentum of no-code×AI has entered the corporate adoption phase.LinkedIn

5. Potential—From Prototyping to Business Automation

Opal is currently a U.S.-only beta, but the fact that it is equipped with Google Workspace integration on the back end is significant. It connects with internal documents, Gmail, and spreadsheets,

• PDF of invoices→summary→spreadsheet entry

• Video URL→key point extraction→Slides creation
  A future where these can be automated with a few clicks has been suggested. Google mentioned in their blog, "We will first enhance quality through co-creation with the community," and is seeking feedback for the official version.developers.googleblog.com

6. Challenges—The Trauma of Google's "Experiment-Only" Projects

However, behind the expectations lies a history of Google Labs projects fading out while still in beta. With numerous "graveyards" like Inbox, Spaces, and Wind Down, concerns about "Opal ending in a few years" were also seen on X. Whether Google can continuously invest resources in the fiercely competitive no-code market will determine its survival.

7. Ecosystem Impact—The Awakening of the "AI Lego" Economic Sphere

If Opal becomes widely adopted,

1. The birth of a mini-app marketplace

2. Expansion of demand for prompt engineers

3. Rapid generation of domain-specific AI tools
   Such ripple effects are expected. Especially, the possibility of business templates filling the "last mile" of generative AI being bought and sold like the Shopify App Store is significant.

8. Conclusion

Opal is an attempt to hand over the magic of "apps running just by writing prompts" to general users. If this experiment, which bridges the inference capabilities of the Gemini 2.5 series with Google's existing product lineup, succeeds, the speed of prototype development will soar exponentially. Conversely, if it fails, it will be mocked as "Google, once again in beta hell." In the latter half of 2025, whether Opal will become a game-changer in the no-code AI market or end as a fleeting topic remains to be seen.